Richmond Comedy Coalition unveils new theater next week

After raising over $27,000 through Kickstarter, the improv comedy group will soon debut the Coalition Theater with a weekend full of events.

July 24, 2013; 9:34 AM • by Nathan Cushing

Update #3 — July 24, 2013; 9:34 AM

The Richmond Comedy Coalition will celebrate the grand opening of its new Arts District theater (see below) with a variety of shows and classes August 1st – 3rd.

“The whole weekend will be a sampler of everything we do,” said Matt Newman, Managing Director of the theater. “Shows, classes, and all kinds of other fun stuff. We can’t wait to welcome the city into the space.”

Here’s the upcoming schedule:

— ∮∮∮ —

Thursday, August 1st

Richmond’s only improv and sketch open mic.

• 8:00 PM
• FREE

Friday, August 2nd

“In Your Facebook.” Improvisers will use an audience member’s Facebook page to inspire a completely improvised comedy show. Featuring an opening performance by Middle Management.

• 8:30 PM
• $10

Saturday, August 3rd

Official debut of new improv house teams.

• 8:00 PM & 9:30 PM
• $5 each show

Saturday, August 3rd

Dance party.

• 11:00 PM
• FREE

Pre-sale tickets are available on the Richmond Comedy Coalition website.

The new theater features a mural by local artist Mickael Broth, window signage by Sure Hand Signs, and laser-engraved materials by Big Secret.

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Update #2 — May 8, 2013; 10:22 AM

The Richmond Comedy Coalition (RCC) surpassed its $25,000 Kickstarter goal to fund renovations of its new theater (see below). Over 300 people pledged $27,196 over the course of one month, which the RCC will use to build a stage, ticket area, buy production materials, and more.

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Update #1 — April 8, 2013; 4:58 PM

The Richmond Comedy Coalition (RCC) recently procured its own theater in the downtown Arts District (see below) and has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund building renovations, supplies, permits, and fees. The RCC hopes to raise $25,000 by May 4th.

Here’s the promotional video for the campaign.

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Original — February 15, 2013

The Richmond Comedy Coalition announced this week it will have its own theater later this summer, allowing the group to centralize its productions and classes as well as increase the number of its performances.

“We’re incredibly excited,” said Matt Newman, member and a managing director of the Richmond Comedy Coalition (RCC). “We’ve had a pretty amazing response from people” since making the announcement.

The location of the future Coalition Theater will be 8 W. Broad Street, between Adams and Foushee streets–site of the former Studio 8 West. As fate would have it, it’s a mere block from art6 gallery, where a budding RCC first performed about three years ago, in the summer of 2009.

While securing a theater of its own has been the goal since the RCC began, Newman said “we’ve been looking in earnest [for] a little over eight months.”

In addition to performing two monthly shows at Gallery5, and a monthly show in Manchester, the roughly 18 member RCC has four teachers instructing 45 students in a variety of improv classes held in Carytown. “It makes sense to bring everything together under one roof…[and] really expand…what we’re able to do,” Newman said.

The RCC hopes to increase the number of performances after the theater opens to include weekly shows on Friday and Saturday nights, giving the Arts District regular comedy performances. “That’s something we’re definitely looking to bring downtown,” Newman said.

He added that the RCC plans to hold auditions in the near future to bolster its roster of performers to accommodate the expected increase in shows.

The RCC is now in discussions with contractors to make the former art gallery a 60 – 80 seat theater with a stage, box office, and green room. The buildout is expected to last through the spring. To help fund construction, Newman said the RCC will launch a Kickstarter campaign sometime next month.

“It seems totally insane that this has happened,” said Newman, reflecting on the RCC’s growth and its newly acquired space.

“It’ll be interesting to see what we can say about the next three and a half years.”

On February 21st, RCC will perform at The Shop at 0 E. 4th Street. The next performance in their Richmond Famous series will be at Gallery5 on February 22nd and feature the Kindness Girl, Patience Salgado.

photo courtesy of the Richmond Comedy Coalition

July 24, 2013 9:34 AM 2 3 updates